An inquest into the death of a man who died after apparently trying to hang himself in a Dublin Garda station has been adjourned so that State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy can view photographs that are said to show abrasions and minor lacerations to the man's body.
Terence Wheelock (20), Summerhill, Dublin, was found unconscious in a cell at Store Street Garda station last June after he apparently attempted to hang himself with a cord from his tracksuit bottoms. He was detained at the station less than 2½ hours after being caught "red-handed" fleeing from a stolen car.
He was taken to the Mater hospital by ambulance but never regained consciousness. He died there 3½ months later on September 16th, 2005. His family alleges that the circumstances of his death differ from the Garda version of events and that he was mistreated while in a cell.
Michael Norton, a forensic scientist at Garda headquarters who examined the ligature used in Mr Wheelock's death as well as his clothes, told Dublin City Coroner's Court yesterday that there were blood stains on some of his clothing. "My memory is on the undergarments there appears to be blood staining."
Yvonne Banbury, solicitor for the Wheelock family, confirmed after the inquest that the family's independent forensic experts from the UK were to carry out an independent examination of the clothes next week.
Barrister for the Wheelock family Sean Gillane provided photographs to the court that, he said, depicted marks and minor lacerations to Mr Wheelock's body. He said these pictures were taken by a clinical photographer at the Mater the day after his admission.
As these photos had not been viewed by the coroner or Dr Cassidy and as not all medical reports by the clinicians who treated Mr Wheelock had been submitted to the court, the inquest was adjourned until December 15th.
Coroner Dr Brian Farrell said clinical reports would be sought from the Mater hospital and it may be necessary to call consultant respiratory physician Dr Brendan Keogh from the Mater and the clinical photographer to give evidence.
Dr Cassidy told the inquest yesterday that Mr Wheelock's "death was directly due to complications of the attempted hanging".
A man arrested alongside Mr Wheelock told the inquest that he saw his friend assaulted when being taken into Garda custody.
Simon Doherty, who was arrested alongside Mr Wheelock fleeing from the stolen car, told the Coroner's Court: "I saw Terence getting assaulted getting into the van . . . When they were putting Terence in the van they were hurting his arm . . . They whacked his head off the side of the van." He said his friend had fractured or broken his arm a couple of days previously, but it was not in a plaster cast.
Gardaí previously told the court Mr Wheelock was placed in handcuffs upon his arrest.
Mr Doherty said Mr Wheelock "had nothing to do with the stolen car" and was "laughing and singing" when brought to the Store Street Garda station. He said his friend was "not suicidal" and he heard a commotion outside Mr Wheelock's cell sometime later. "I could hear a commotion, something about a mobile phone. I think they were slagging him about his girlfriend." He said he did not see Mr Wheelock being assaulted once he got to the station and was not assaulted himself.
Mr Doherty fell asleep while in custody and was woken when two plainclothes gardaí came into his cell to take the cord from his tracksuit bottoms.
When he was released, Mr Wheelock's cell had been sectioned off with crime-scene tape. "I think he got assaulted before I woke up. I couldn't believe the police would do that," Mr Doherty told the court.
Prof Cassidy said a toxicology screening showed that cannabis and benzodiazepines, a sedative drug, were in his system. Mr Doherty said that on the night before their arrest, he and Mr Wheelock had taken sleeping tablets.